Tagore composed Purano Sei Diner Kotha after he returned from England. It was in England that he first heard this Scottish folk song, Auld Lang Syne, written by Robert Burns. He has captured the pain of parting and used the same notes as were used in the original song, with his amazing, vivid and lyrical imagination. Besides the tune, he also retained the essence of the song. Tagore had a lasting connection with Scotland and his friend and Scottish architect Patrick Geddes helped him draw up a framework for Santiniketan. The Scottish government has even set up a Centre for Tagore Studies at Napier University in Edinburgh, where a song like Purano Sei Diner Kotha may have been on the curriculum.
Lyrics:
পুরানো সেই দিনের কথা ভুলবি কি রে হায়।
ও সেই চোখে দেখা, প্রাণের কথা, সে কি ভোলা যায়।
আয় আর একটিবার আয় রে সখা, প্রাণের মাঝে আয়।
মোরা সুখের দুখের কথা কব, প্রাণ জুড়াবে তায়।
মোরা ভোরের বেলা ফুল তুলেছি, দুলেছি দোলায়–
বাজিয়ে বাঁশি গান গেয়েছি বকুলের তলায়।
হায় মাঝে হল ছাড়াছাড়ি, গেলেম কে কোথায়–
আবার দেখা যদি হল, সখা, প্রাণের মাঝে আয়॥
English translation:
How can you forget the tales of the days long past,
The glances, the heartfelt chatter, can these ever be forgotten?
Come once more, my friend, come fill my heart.
Let us speak of happiness and sorrow that will envelope us and soothe our souls
We plucked flowers at dawn, swayed on the swing,
Played the flute and sang under the bakul (bullet wood) tree.
Then, in between, we went our separate ways
If we get a chance to meet again, my friend, come fill my heart.
Some useful information:
Written in: April-May 1885
Age of the poet: 23
Published in: Rabichhaya (Miscellaneous), 1886.
Parjaay (Category): Prem o Prakriti (Love and Nature)
Upa-parjaay (Sub-category): NA
Taal: Ektal
Raga: Mixed (Scotch) Bhupali
Notation: Geetimala
Swarabitan: Vol. 32
Notation by: Jyotirindranath Tagore
Purpose of the presentation:
Tagore’s music resonates with people from all walks of life. His songs are performed at cultural events, religious ceremonies and social gatherings, reflecting their enduring popularity. In an effort to bring home this treasure trove to the non-Bengali population and Bengalis around the globe, Brainware University offers a selection of Rabindrasangeet in this presentation. It is enriched with details on the songs and relevant anecdotes.
Sung By
Sri Phalguni Mookhopadhayay Chancellor, Brainware University Phalguni Mookhopadhayay is the founder-Chancellor of Brainware University, founder-Chairman and Managing-Director of Brainware Consultancy Private Limited and founder-Chairman of Webguru Infosystems Private Limited. He did his schooling at Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Narendrapur, and graduated with honours in Economics from St Xavier’s College, Kolkata. He completed his masters in Economics from Calcutta University and MBA from IISWBM, before joining Hindustan Lever as a management trainee. He worked as a market planner for the ABP group for nearly a decade before striking out on his own and successfully launching two private limited companies and one University. Phalguni Mookhopadhayay is a self-taught digital artist, a versatile photographer, a filmmaker and a weekend singer who has already recorded 78 songs and is now immersed in a project to popularise Tagore songs among a global audience.
